Just a Dream
by Knowing Grace
Summary: "It was just a dream." I whispered, my throat raw from the tears that I had shed. It never could have worked out between us, I knew that full well; but for one, brief minute, I had allowed myself to think that maybe there was more to our relationship than fantasy. Spoilers for BotFA. Tissue warning ahead!


*****SPOILERS***SPOILERS***SPOILERS*****

**For those of you who have yet to see _The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies _and do NOT want to have the story ruined for you, turn back at once, otherwise proceed with caution and a pocketful of tissues. Ye have been warned!**

**AUTHOR'S NOTE:**

**Oh, hell! I told myself I wasn't going to go there, I'm not even a Tauriel/Kíli fan-says the Tolkien purest in me-but I did it anyway. *sighs* Once I heard "Now We Are Free" from the Gladiator soundtrack while reading some Hobbit fanfiction, this little scene wouldn't leave me alone and I had to write it down. Okay, so "Dead in the Water" by Ellie Goulding and "Into the West" by Annie Lennox might also have something to do with this, but I'm landing the blame on "Now We Are Free"; go and listen to it this instant if you've never heard it before! **

**So here it is, the piece I never thought I would write; I hope I cleaned up all of the typos, but with me, you never know. I am pretty good about going back and fixing my mistakes so if anyone sees anything, let me know and I'll get on it. **

**No flames, please, but constructive criticism is allowed-and welcomed-and reviews, of course, are encouraged, hell, even craved, I'll admit that! :)**

**Disclaimer: I do not own The Hobbit, the characters or anything that looks even remotely familiar, I just enjoy writing and wished to share this with my fellow Tolkienites/Ringers. No monetary gain is being made from this work of fiction. **

**And now that that's out of the way, enjoy! **

**P.S. You might want to have some tissues handy!**

**~Knowing Grace**

* * *

><p><strong>Just a Dream<strong>

**by Knowing Grace**

"It was just a dream." I whispered, my throat raw from the tears that I had shed. It never could have worked out between us, I knew that full well; but for one, brief minute, I had allowed myself to think that maybe there was more to our relationship than fantasy.

_If I wasn't an Elf...if he wasn't a Dwarf, _well, such thoughts were pointless. I had just been deluding myself and now my Kíli, my sweet, wonderful, ridiculous Kíli—who was not mine—was dead. I pressed my palm against the spot where his heart should have been beating; there was no movement beneath my fingertips, no signs of life. He had passed on into the Halls of his fathers and no matter whether I lived or died, I could never follow him. He had gone beyond my reach forever. He was mortal and I was Elf-kind; such was the fate wrought to both of our races by Eru Iluvatar of old, before the beginning of the world.

Kíli was gone.

_Gone_; I had never understood the meaning of the word until this day. "T-They want to bury him, don't they?" I asked, knowing what the answer would be before I heard it.

"Yes." The one I had once called king replied. Another tear winged its way down my cheek, dripping off of my chin to land on the body cradled in my arms. There was a rustle of clothing and then something thick and heavy was draped across my shoulders; I could smell the distinct scent of pine and realized that Thranduil had just given me his cloak. "He will be laid beside Thorin, his brother and his forefathers in the Mountain where he will be honoured." He added.

"Thus passes the line of Durin." I said, my heart too hollow to feel any more grief over the loss of the Dwarves most highly revered royal families. I fumbled in my pocket for the small trinket Kíli had given me before he had followed his kin to Erebor. When I had pulled it from its hiding place, I noticed the king looking intently at my hand and I opened it so that he could see what I was holding.

"I-It is...was his rune stone. H-He made a promise to return to her, his mother, a-and n-now he w-will n-never..." The hole inside of me seemed to widen, if that was possible, and I couldn't finish my sentence.

_This was never supposed to happen, _I thought as more tears fell from my eyes. I was not so naïve as to think that he would be spared the gift Eru bestowed upon him and his mortal kin, but to be cut off when there was so much more for him to enjoy, and to be, and to do...he did not deserve such a fate as the one that befell him_. _

Finally, I managed to look away from Kíli's body and peer up at Thranduil who was kneeling a few feet in front of me. To my surprise, I could see the same pain and heartbreak that I was feeling reflected in his blue eyes.

"If this is love, I do not want it. Take it from me, please!" I cried. "Why does it hurt so much?" I searched his face, looking for answers, but finding none. A long silence fell between us before he finally spoke.

"Because...Because it was real." He said, tentatively stretching out his hand and brushing my blood splattered knuckles with the tips of his fingers. "Tauriel, do not let this darken your heart. You were not meant to grieve until your soul turns to ash in your chest, leaving you with little more than a memory of what could have been. Keep your heart, cherish the love that you had, but do not let yourself fade away. D-Don't be like me." He whispered. A single tear managed to slip past his guard and drip onto the ground, and the caring moment abruptly came to an end.

With a sniff, he reached up and wiped the offending liquid from his face, slid his emotionless mask back into place and stood up. "You must say your goodbyes; it will not be long now until they come for him." Thranduil turned, and took a few steps away from me before halting. He glanced at me over his shoulder once more. "I have sent Legolas to find one of the last chieftains of the Dúnedain; I fear he no longer considers the Greenwood his home." He paused, cleared his throat and then added, "There is a ship lying at harbour at the Grey Havens bound for Valinor. If you wish, a place shall be saved for you upon it." I nodded my head once and with that, he continued on his way and quickly disappeared from my sight.

After a long moment, I lowered the still form of the youngest Durin onto the frozen stone. He looked peaceful, lying there; no trace of pain to be found on his chiselled features, and on impulse, I leaned forward and placed a kiss upon his cold lips.

"Now you are the one who walks in starlight in another world." I whispered, sliding the rune stone into his gloved hand. "You were wrong. It was never just a dream, Kíli, it was real and I will cherish it until the end of time."

~Finis


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